Of Moonlight and Flowers
by enniferfs
Summary: Every love story has defining moments, but it's the ordinary, everyday glimpses of a love that grows that really show us what it's all about. EWE. PP/LL
1. Perfection

Luna was perfection. There was no other word that could do her justice. She could see her from across the room, a vision of golden curls wearing a bright, white dress that floated around her as she danced. It was decorated with gold ribbons, some of them knotted into neat little bows while others shimmered and danced with her every movement.

Pansy wondered what it might feel like to be so free. She clearly didn't worry about how others must see her, nor did their judgment seem to bother her in the least. Pansy envied her that as she lived in a world full of expectations and worries about keeping up appearances. It all made her anxious, so she covered it up with a mask of indifference and a touch of snobbery. Luna exuded calmness and peace; a happy smile graced her lips beneath eyes that sparkled. Her aura seemed to spread to those around her as many couldn't help but smile in wonder at the sight of her.

How could anyone find her anything but beautiful? Pansy had been watching her from a distance for as long as she could remember. From those first glimpses that made her heart beat loudly in school corridors, to chance meetings at ministry events and the weddings and celebrations of their peers, her obsession has grown. But the word obsession was too unkind for the purity of what she felt. Awe. Wonder.

Unrequited.

Heartbreaking.

Luna was all things lovely and bright. Pansy felt like darkness and despair. She couldn't even bring herself to hope there could be anything between them. Draco always rolled his eyes at her dramatics and told her to give it a chance, but that was easy for him to say, he was living his own personal fairytale with Gryffindor's golden girl. Not everyone was strong enough to take chances, not everyone was rewarded for a moment of vulnerability. Pansy had a lifetime of humiliation to prove it.

"Would you like to dance, Pansy?"

Her eyes wide, she took in the sight of her fairy before her. Her mind raced, her breath caught and she might have panicked were it not for a sudden moment of clarity. She smiled and reached for Luna's waiting hand before following her back to the dance floor.

Pansy may not have been one to take chances, but only a fool passed up an opportunity.


	2. Waiting

Pansy was staring at her again. She could sense the attention on her from across the room, so she gave another twirl, sending the tassels and bows on her dress flying to sparkle in the light of the hall, and smiled. Pansy had been watching her for years, whenever they happened to be in the same room. It might even have felt aggressive had it been anyone else, but Luna didn't mind it from her. There was a certain kind of comfort in watching her weigh her feelings against her concerns and others' expectations, as though she was keeping her distance until she was absolutely sure. She could hardly be blamed for being cautious and calculating, it was her nature after all.

So Luna waited and Pansy stared.

She thought she was being subtle, of course, but you'd have to be completely daft not to notice after such a long time. Everyone seemed to think Luna actually was quite mad. It made it surprisingly easy to observe others when they all thought you weren't much aware of the world around you and were, by extension, completely harmless. She liked to observe and collect information about people, things and places. It all fit together like puzzles did eventually and she often thought she might be the only one who could see what the unfinished pictures might become. Perhaps it was her purpose to be a witness to everything others missed.

When they had still been at Hogwarts, she had noticed Pansy and her less than hidden longing. She had also noticed that the time was far from right for them to get to know each other and resolved herself to wait for the black-haired beauty to approach her first. Luna was a very patient young woman, but now, years later, she thought it might be time to take those first steps herself and ease the other woman's crippling self-doubts. Seeing her lost in thought, she made her way across the room and stopped in front of her, offering her hand.

"Would you like to dance, Pansy?"

Wide, disbelieving eyes stared back at her as time seemed to stand still. Suddenly, Pansy smiled openly at her and accepted her hand, allowing herself to be led back to the dance floor. Luna gently placed her hands around the neck of the nervous woman in front of her. Slender arms wrapped themselves around her waist, pulling her closer, and a contented sigh passed her lips. The world around them melted away as they danced.

"This feels so right," Pansy whispered in her ear. "Why did it take me so long?"

Luna looked at her thoughtfully. She leaned in and kissed her softly on the cheek.

"You couldn't finish the puzzle without finding all the pieces first. Some things take time," she said simply.

Pansy looked into her eyes, determination painted on her face, and took a deep breath.

" I don't want to wait anymore, Luna. Will you be mine?"

Luna felt a surge of happiness settle in her chest and then smiled broadly.

"I thought you'd never ask."


End file.
